Los Angeles, Calif. – The UC San Diego softball team fell 1-7 to No. 3 UCLA in Tuesday's midweek matinee at Easton Stadium. With the result, the Tritons move to 1-4 (0-0 BWC) overall, as the Bruins improve to 11-1 (0-0 PAC-12).
 
UC San Diego 1, UCLA 7
UCLA picked up two runs in the first inning and never looked back. The Bruins scored again in the second, tacking on an additional three runs to further the gap, 5-0. 
 
In the top of the fourth inning, the Tritons found a bit of a groove. Aguirre broke up the no-hitter with a single up the middle. The next at-bat, junior Keila Bosinger drove one to deep left field that was caught at the warning track.

Then, senior Sherriah Harrington dropped a perfect bunt for a base hit which gave the Tritons their first runner in scoring position on the day. Senior Isabel Lavrov executed, putting the ball in the play to force a Bruin error that allowed pinch runner Kaleigh Lane to cross home plate.
 
Wampler turned away UCLA for consecutive innings in the third and fourth. The Bruins went up 6-1 in the bottom of the fifth as sophomore Kaia Simpson relieved Wampler. One last run came across for UCLA, but Simpson struck out back-to-back batters to get out of the jam and prevent UCLA's fifth run-rule of the season.

Overall, Wampler threw four innings and gave up seven runs on nine hits, while Simpson tossed the last two innings, allowing one hit in nine batters faced. The two hurlers combined for four strikeouts at two apiece against an aggressive Bruin lineup.
 
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"I think we really grew together as a team today and found that we can compete with anyone," said Head Coach Patti Gerckens. "We got better as the game went on and made some good adjustments at the plate. Our pitching was very strong. Kaia dominated their hitters. Overall, we just need more consistency on defense."
 
TRITON TIDBITS

• Tuesday's game was the first softball matchup between UC San Diego and UCLA.  
• Aguirre had two of UC San Diego's three hits in the game. She was also one of two Tritons to put the ball in play through the first three innings of the contest. The other was redshirt sophomore Kelley Renner. 
• The first time around, the Triton lineup was retired in order, one through nine, including seven strikeout victims. 
• Sophomore Graci Dragoo and senior Vanessa Tirado made their Division I debuts with pinch hit opportunities in the seventh.
• Junior Kaleigh Lane recorded her first run in a Triton uniform. 
• The Tritons left three on base compared to the Bruins' nine. 

UP NEXT
UC San Diego will break for final exams over the next week. The Tritons will then host crosstown rival University of San Diego on Mar. 21 for their last nonconference matchup of the season. The doubleheader is set to begin at 12 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN3.
 
About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program has begun a new era as a member of the Big West Conference in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 83 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 37 have garnered prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.
 
Return To Sport… Safely
In order for UC San Diego scholar-athletes to be permitted to return to training and competition safely and within federal, state, local and university guidelines, the athletic department implemented a number of measures designed to complement and enhance the university's highly-successful Return To Learn program.  Notable actions include being physically distanced when practical, including during out-of-season training sessions; wearing masks, except when undergoing physically strenuous exercise; and maintaining proper hygiene.  Athletes, coaches and staff are testing at a higher frequency than the campus population, teams adhere to CDC, NCAA and Big West Conference guidelines and department officials participate in regular meetings with conference and university-affiliated physicians and the UC San Diego emergency operations staff.